Palace Stone isn't such a bad place after all
by savingabel-love
Summary: Jennifer Sandler is moving to Castle Rock to live with her rich actor father. She meets Teddy, Chris, Gordie, and Vern. She also meets the Cobras. What will happen when members of both groups take an interest in Jen? Read and find out! :D
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One!**

"MOM. For the last time, I don't want to move to Palace Stone!" I, Jennifer Sandler, was angry. My mom was making me, my brother, and my sister move from our home in California to some little hick town in Oregon to live with my father, who I haven't seen since I was 3. I don't even remember what he looks like. All I have left of him is a picture that I secretly have folded up in the very bottom of my jewelry box.

He has me on his shoulders, my baby sister, Kendra, in his right arm, and my brother Thomas is looking up at him with an expression of awe on his face. The great thing is, we are all smiling. This picture was taken on the day before my mom and dad announced to us that they were getting a divorce. The last happy time before my life went to pieces. All of a sudden, my dad just wasn't around anymore. My mom tried to make up for it by buying us a bunch of useless crap and taking us out for ice cream all the time. None of it could replace my daddy, though. Anyway, back to my argument.

"MOM. For the last time, I don't want to move to Palace Stone!"

"Jennifer Ann Sandler. You are moving there whether you like it or not. And it's called Castle Rock, not Palace Stone. Now go finish packing up your things, because we are leaving in 45 minutes." As she walked away, I flipped her off. My older brother Tommy saw this, and scolded me. I love Tommy and Kendra, my baby sister, more than anything in the world. Sometimes it sucked being the middle child, but I loved having an older brother to look out for me, and having a younger sister to protect.

"Jennifer Ann! Don't do those kinds of things! Ladies don't act like that, especially towards their mothers." While he was "scolding" me, he had a huge smile on his face, for he was the one who told me what the middle finger meant in the first place. Oh, Tommy. How you make me laugh. I knew he was only reprimanding me for my mother's sake, but I went along with it anyway.

"Fine, Thomas James. I'll try and control my hand spasms from now on." I winked as I retreated to my room to finish packing. I emptied my dresser drawers, and looked in the mirror. I hated the way I looked. Thick, curly, frizzy brown hair hung around my face, while the reflection of my hazel eyes stared back at me. I didn't mind my eyes, because they changed color when I got emotional. They turned dark brown when I was sad, light green when I was happy, and almost black when I was angry.

My ex-boyfriend, Justin, told me he was scared of me when my eyes turned black, which caused me to dump him, 'cause I don't wanna date some pussy, do I? No. I don't. My number one stipulation for guys is that they are tough. I thought that since Justin was on the wrestling team at school, he would be a tough guy that could take care of me. Guess I was wrong. So that was the end of poor, wimpy Justin Bell. 30 minutes later, I was leaving my home for my dad's house in.. what was it? Palace Stone? Yeah, that sounds right..


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two!

Tommy, Kendra, and I were finally at my long-lost father's house in Castle Rock, Oregon. I actually got the name right this time, so I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of Dad. I dragged my 3 suitcases out of Tommy's car's trunk, and headed up the sidewalk. The house was nice, I must say. It looked to be about three stories, with large windows. The siding was a minty green colour, and the trim around the windows was white. I walked in the front door, and was immediately wrapped in a bear hug. The hugger's arms were deeply tanned and strong, with a dusting of light blonde hairs. As he released me, I finally got a good look at him. He was a really handsome guy, with sandy blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

"Dad?" I asked tentatively.

"Jenny? Is this my little Jen? Oh, how I've missed you, I have so many questions, where are Tommy and Kendra? When did you get so tall? Oh, you're so pretty, baby girl." As my dad rambled on and on, Tommy and Kendra walked through the front door. My dad scrambled past me and wrapped both of them in a bigger hug than he did me. He greeted them with the same questions I did, asking Tommy when he got so big, and Kendra when she got so tall. Not wanting to interrupt this family moment, I crept up the stairs to explore the rest of the house.

From what I could see, there were about 5 bedrooms, and 4 bathrooms. Oh, I forgot to mention, my dad was an actor. Yep, Kenneth Sandler was pretty famous, and he was my father. I had no clue why he moved to this little hick town, but I'm sure he had his reasons. 3 of the rooms were on the second floor, one was downstairs, and the last was on the third floor. That was the room I decided to claim as mine. That way, I would have my own bathroom on the same floor, and I wouldn't need to share with Tommy and Kendra, or my dad.

I walked back downstairs, where I found my dad giving my siblings a tour of our new home.

"There you are, Jenny! I was just starting to give Tom and Kendra a choice of bedrooms. There are—" My dad said.

"Yeah, I know. I've been up there already, and I put my stuff in the third floor bedroom." I interrupted.

"Oh, okay then." He seemed kind of put off, so I was quick to compliment his house.

"I love the house, dad. It's absolutely gorgeous. But I'm gonna go.. Explore the town or something. Can I have some money?" I asked.

"Oh, thanks, Jen! Of course you can, here's ten bucks. Don't have too much fun! Be back by dinner, I usually eat around 6 or 6:30." He told me.

"Sure, dad. See y'all later." I ran out the door, shouting my goodbye over my shoulder. I was finally free to explore the town. It was the beginning of summer, so it was ungodly hot outside. I was glad I had chosen to wear my favorite green tank top that matched my eyes almost perfectly, and some denim shorts. I slipped my father's money into my back pocket, and headed towards Main Street.

Contrary to my expectations, the town actually wasn't that bad. It was charming, actually. The general store and the local diner were like something straight out of an old Western movie. I looked both ways, and crossed the road towards the diner. The diner, Blue Point Diner, advertised ice cream in the window, and I could have really used something cold. I entered the diner, and breathed out a sigh of relief. They had air conditioning! I walked up to the counter, where a teenage boy waited to take my order. He was very pale, with pretty brown eyes, red hair, and freckles.

Reading his name tag, I asked, "Hey Andrew, can I get… a chocolate ice cream?"

"Of course, darling. Anything for such a pretty lady." He winked and said.

I blushed, and winked back. He handed me my ice cream, and I turned around to find a place to sit. The only other people in the restaurant were four boys at a corner booth. I decided to sit at the counter, where there were barstools. I heard the boys talking about some kid named Ray, and something about an ace. Were they playing cards or something? I snuck a look at them over my shoulder. No, they weren't playing cards, so why would they be talking about an ace? Hmmm… Well whatever. Who cares? They're just teenage boys, they are gonna talk about some weird things. I finished my ice cream, and took another look at Andrew behind the counter. I winked and waved goodbye, and walked out the door. Within seconds, the door to the diner opened again.

"Hey! Wait up!" I heard a boy's voice say behind me.

I turned around, and saw one of the boys from the diner running towards me.

"Hi, I'm Teddy, Teddy Duchamp." He smiled. I looked him up and down. He had a great smile; it stretched from one ear to… wait, where's his other ear? Huh, that's weird. Only one ear. Anyway, his brown hair flopped over his forehead, almost touching the thick black glasses that covered his deep brown eyes. The dog tags around his neck jangled with every movement he made, and his white T-shirt stuck to his body from the heat.

"Hi Teddy. I'm Jennifer, Jennifer Sandler. Nice to meet you. What did you want?" I asked.

"You see, my extremely immature friends in the diner bet me five bucks I couldn't get you to go on a date with me. And I'm not one to back down from a challenge, so I had to." He leaned in closer, saying "And just so you know, I don't have five bucks, so I would really appreciate it if you would say yes."

How could I say no? This Teddy kid was just too persuasive. And he was actually kinda cute. "Sure, why not? I'll meet ya back at the diner around 5?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, Jennifer. See ya then!" He said with that great smile back on his face. I waved and walked away. A few blocks down the street, I came across Irby's Billiards. I really wanted a Coke, so I walked in. The inside was dark, and wasn't air conditioned. But on the plus side, I did see some cute guys eyeing me. I knew I was only 15, but I liked older guys. Like, 18 year olds. Justin was almost 18 when I dumped him. I flipped my long brown hair around, and strutted up to the bar. I asked the bartender for a Coke, and he smiled creepily at me.

"Of course, sweetheart, anything for such a pretty lady." What was with the flattery from the employees in this town? I sat at one of the barstools, and waited for my drink. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a few guys coming towards me. One, who looked like the leader of his little gang, had blonde hair and blue eyes. The one to his left was tall and skinny, with curly brown hair and chocolaty eyes. The third guy, to Blondie's right, was short and a bit chubby. He had a buzz cut, and beady black eyes. They stopped in front of me, and I raised my left eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" I asked in a husky voice.

"Depends." The leader said to me.

"On what, Blondie?" I replied. He raised the left side of his mouth in a sexy smirk.

"Name's Ace." He pointed at the chubby one, "This is Billy Tessio." He pointed at the taller one, "This is Eyeball Chambers."

"That's nice." I turned around, for the bartender had finally brought me my Coke. I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I turned around with a smirk that mirrored Ace's. "Yeah?"

"I told you my name, can I have yours?" Ace asked.

"It's Jennifer, Blondie. Anything else you need?" I said. He shook his head at me, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Jennifer." He stuck out his hand, and I shook it. His hand was warm and dry, despite the heat in the bar. "Listen, are you doin' anything tomorrow night?"

"Maybe. It depends on if you were gonna ask me out or not." I replied, leaning back against the counter, my Coke long forgotten.

He laughed, saying "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow night at the Blue Point around 7?"

"Sure, Blondie. See ya around." I hopped off my barstool and walked out of the bar. Two dates in 30 minutes. Go me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three!

I went back home around 4, where I found my dad cooking dinner while Tommy and Kendra played a game in the living room.

"Hey Jen, how was your walk? Meet anybody nice? Make any friends?" My dad bombarded me with questions the moment I walked through the door.

"It was hot. I did, actually. Kind of." I answered his inquiries with short answers, trying to catch up. "I went to the diner for some ice cream and met a boy, his name's Teddy. Then I met a boy named Ace." I didn't tell my dad where I met, seeing as Irby's was considered a bar.

"Teddy? Duchamp? He's a sweet kid. Hangs around with the Lachance kid. He's a good kid too. I don't know about that Chambers boy, though. Then there's Vern Tessio. Oh, speaking of the Tessio's, I have some news for you guys." My dad was apparently trying to make up for him being absent for 12 years of our lives.

"What is it, dad? I gotta go, I'm meeting Teddy for dinner." I told him.

"Oh, honey, it's really important, could you go find him and ask him to reschedule?" Dad pleaded with me.

"Yeah, I guess, if it's that important." So I walked right back out the door, looking for Teddy. I found him closer than I thought I would. Apparently, he lived across the street. I jogged over to where he was wrestling with the chubby boy from the diner, and yelled his name. "Teddy!"

He looked up from where he had the other boy pinned down, and smiled that great smile. "Yeah, Jen?" he asked.

"Listen, I can't go out with you tonight, it's my first night in town, and my dad wants me to stay home for dinner. How about Tuesday night? Same time, same place?"

He frowned, but said, "Sure, Jenny. See ya 'round." Then he went right back to his wrestling match. I rolled my eyes at his attention span, and waved goodbye. Jogging back across the street, I saw a strange car in my dad's driveway. I heard Teddy yell at his wrestling partner, "Verno! Your mom's at her boyfriend's house. It's time for you to leave."

I turned around, and the chubby kid was running across the street to my house. I frowned, trying to connect the dots. I followed Vern to my front door, and walked inside. I heard my dad saying, "Angela! This is my oldest, Thomas, my youngest, Kendra, and there's my middle daughter Jennifer!" He had his arm around a petite woman who looked like she was only about 5 foot 3 inches. To make up for her height, she had a huge head of blonde hair, and big baby blue eyes.

"Oh, Ken, they're all gorgeous! This is my son Vern, and my other son Billy should be here soon." She exclaimed. I was surprised at the sounds of her voice. I had expected it to be high and airy, but it was husky and smooth. Billy, could that be the same Billy I had met at Irby's earlier? The blonde stuck her hand out, saying "Hi Jennifer, I'm Angela Tessio! Your father has told me so much about you and your siblings, though you're much prettier than he described."

"Thanks, Mrs. Tessio, you're very kind." I gave my dad a look that said, _we need to talk. NOW. _He gestured towards the kitchen, and I followed him there. "Uh, Dad? Would you tell me what's going on here?"

"Jenny, Angela's my girlfriend. I have asked her and her son Vern to move in with us, and she has accepted. They are moving in tomorrow, and we are having dinner together tonight. Her other son Billy has his own place, so everyone will have their own rooms."

I was dumbfounded. Why hadn't my dad mentioned this earlier? He has a GIRLFRIEND? My DAD? My mind was reeling at this news. "Uh. Okay. This is… weird." I managed to say.

"Yeah, it'll be weird for awhile, but we'll all get used to it eventually. Plus, you and Vern are about the same age, so you guys will have stuff in common. You guys'll be in the same grade at school." He tried to make me feel better, but this was just too weird. I went and sat on the couch, trying to make sense of this whole crazy situation. First, I have to move to this little hick town. Then, I get asked out by two separate guys within 30 minutes. Now, my dad has a girlfriend, who is moving into my house with her son tomorrow. Wow. Okay. This is extremely weird. So back to reality, Vern comes and sits next to me.

"Hi. I'm Vern. This is weird." He says quietly.

I smile, and say, "Hi. I'm Jennifer. You can call me Jen. Or Jenny. Or just Jennifer. And yeah, this is definitely weird."

"So… what do you like to do for fun?" He attempts to make conversation.

I go along with it, and say, "Well, it depends on who I'm with. Because if I'm with a group of girls, I'd say it's doing my hair and makeup. If I'm with a group of guys, I like to fish and play baseball."

"Sincerely? Wow, that's cool. Me and my friends like to fish sometimes down at the lake. Maybe you could join us tomorrow morning, I'm sure they'll like you." He said earnestly.

"Sure, I guess. That'd be cool. I just have to be back by 6, I gotta get ready for my date with Ace tomorrow night."

"ACE? As in, Ace the Cobra?"

"Uh, no. He's a person, not a snake."

"No, Jenny, the Cobras are a gang that likes to beat up younger boys, like me and my friends. Ace, Eyeball, Billy, Charlie, and Vince all like to use women and drink beer. They aren't the kind of people you wanna hang out with."

"Oh. I didn't know. I can't just stand him up, though. It'd be rude. I'll just go tomorrow night, then tell him I'm not interested." I reasoned.

"Sincerely? Okay, that's a good plan. Anyway, Teddy lives right across the street, so he can walk you to the lake tomorrow morning. I'll tell him to meet you outside at 7. That's the best time for fishing. Sound good?" He asked.

"Sure Vern. It was really nice talking to you, I'm glad I get to live with you, you seem cool." I grinned. We talked for a while longer, then I got tired and went up the two flights of stairs to my bedroom. I searched in my suitcases for my PJ's, and flopped on my bed, falling asleep.

A/N: Sorry about the chapter length, starting next chapter they should even out. Don't feel like you have to read and review, but it would be much appreciated if you did!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four!

A/N: Just so ya'll know, this chapter contains a few cuss words.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the Sandler family. And Andrew from the diner. And the creepy bartender. I think that's it for now…

I woke up to the song "Lollipop" by the Chordette's, and even though I was exhausted from the long drive the day before, I managed to do the popping noise with my mouth at the right time. I had set my alarm for 6:30 A.M., and I had 30 minutes before I had to meet Teddy Duchamp outside my house. I threw on a bright orange tank top that made my already dark tan even darker. Instead of a bra, I wore my bikini top, which was dark blue. My bikini bottoms were the same color as the top, and the shorts I slipped over them were white, very short, with blue lines down the sides of my thighs. I walked outside, and Teddy wasn't waiting for me yet. I waited about 3 more minutes, then he scramble out of the front door of his house.

"Jenny! W-Wow, you l-look great!" He stammered. He had on camo army swimming trunks, and a white T-shirt not unlike the one he had been wearing the day before. The dog tags were present and jangling on his chest.

"Thanks, Teddy. Wanna get goin'?" I asked, grinning at his compliment and the look on his face. His jaw was practically touching the ground, so I reached over and closed it for him.

He blushed, and started to walk, gesturing that I should follow him. I caught up to him, and he said, "So, why did you move to little old Castle Rock? It can't be because of it's tourist attractions, so was it because you knew I was here? Did someone tell you about my extreme good looks and charm?"

I smiled at his questions, and replied, "No, I've actually never heard of your good looks, and it's probably because they don't exist."

He cut me off, saying, "Ouch, that's harsh, Jenny."

"Anyways, I moved here because my dad lives here. I live with him, and I hadn't seen him in 12 years before yesterday. Me, my brother Tommy, and my sister Kendra used to live in California with my mom. Then she made us move here for reasons unknown. Any other questions?"

"Nope, that just about covers it. Oh hey, why was Vern's mom at your house last night?"

"Mrs. Tessio and my dad are apparently dating, and it was announced last night that they are moving into my house. Vern too."

"Wow, that's weird, Mrs. Tessio's been single for forever." Teddy said.

"So has my dad. So are we almost there yet?" We had been walking for about 10 minutes while I told Teddy about my dad's relationship.

"Yeah, the lake's just behind them trees." He assured me. We stepped through the mini forest, and then I finally saw the lake. I honestly wouldn't even call it a lake, it was so small. I heard someone shout off to my right, and I turned my head.

"Teddy! What took you guys so long? Didja stop to have a quickie along the way with that hot chick?" A tall, tanned, muscular boy with short blonde hair was climbing up the bank towards Teddy and I. As he got closer, I could see his light blue eyes squinted because of the bright sun. His tan chest was covered in sweat and lake water, and I could barely tear my eyes away from his budding six-pack to look at his face. This guy was perfect. Muscular, tan, tall, blonde, blue-eyed; if only I knew his name. "Hello, I'm Chris. Chris Chambers. It's nice to meet you. What's your name?" I just continued to stare at his body in awe. "Uh, hello? Can you hear me? Are you deaf? ARE YOU DEAF?" He shouted the last part at me.

I came out of my muscles-induced trance, saying, "Oh, sorry. Spaced out for a minute there. To answer your question, I'm Jennifer Sandler, and no, I'm not deaf. So no more yelling, got it?" I gave him a quick smile.

"Nice to meet ya, Jenny. I sure hope you brought your swimming suit, 'cause it's time for your initiation into the group." He smiled evilly.

"Uh, what? My initiation? What do you mean, Chris?" I asked nervously.

"Do you have a swimming suit on, Jen?"

"Yeah, I do. Why?" I didn't get an answer, just another evil grin. I turned around to look at Teddy, but before I could, Chris picked me up, bridal-style, and ran towards the lake. Wow, this guy can pick me up and run? He must be really strong. "Chris! No! Wait! What are you doing? Let me take off my shirt and shorts first! Please!" I pleaded.

"Oh, fine. Go ahead." He said. I took off my shirt, then turned around and slid off my shorts. I turned around, and Chris's jaw was almost touching the ground, not unlike Teddy's earlier this morning.

"Like what you see, Chambers?" I teased.

"Sure do." He said bluntly.

I blushed, and said, "Okay, so can we get on with my initiation now?"

He shook his head as if to get an image out of his head, and picked me up again. Walking slower than he had before, Chris continued towards the lake. We reached the edge, and he dumped me into the freezing cold water.

"CHRIS! What the hell? How is that a fucking initiation? All you did was dump me into the damn ice cold water!" I shouted. I tended to get a potty mouth when I was angry.

"That's the initiation, Jen. Duh. Now you're an official member of the group! Come meet us all!" He said with a grin. I climbed out of the lake, where the sun warmed me up a bit. Chris led me to where the other three guys were standing. I stood in front of a tall, slim boy with the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen on a guy, and brown hair that was plastered to his forehead. "This is Gordie Lachance, Jen. Jen, Gordie. Gordie, Jen." We shook hands, and he gave me a sweet smile. I could tell he was uncomfortable around girls. "Well, you already know Vern and Teddy, so introductions are done! So, let's swim! Or do you guys wanna go back to the treehouse?"

"Treehouse, man, it's getting too hot out here, sincerely." Vern said. So, we all headed towards the treehouse. My initiation into the group was complete, or so I thought…


End file.
